U.S. sanctions Syrian military

April 24, 2007 9:00am

The U.S. State Department announced sanctions on 14 entities, including Hezbollah and the Syrian navy and air force, under the Iran and Syria Nonproliferation Act.

The entities, from Lebanon, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, Mexico and
Singapore, are accused of selling to or buying from Iran or Syria missile technology or material
to make weapons of mass destruction. Many already had been placed under U.S. sanctions for similar
transactions, most recently in December. The sanctions bar any U.S. aid, government contracts or
export licenses to the entities for two years. Hezbollah and the Syrian armed forces claim they never violated the Nonproliferation Act, which prohibits transfers of advanced weaponry to and from Iran and Syria. State Department officials said Monday
without elaborating that they had “credible evidence” that proved
otherwise.

Hezbollah already is listed by the United States as a terrorist organization, making the additional sanction largely symbolic.